Tribe of Rushing Water (modern)
The Tribe of Rushing Water is the equivalent of a Clan, and resides in a mountainous area, most notably the "Cave of Rushing Water", a large cave hidden behind a waterfall. Their beliefs are similar to the beliefs of the Forest Clans, but are not exactly alike. Their equivalent of the Moonstone or the Moonpool, the Cave of Pointed Stones, is where the healer goes to commune with the Tribe's ancestors, the Tribe of Endless Hunting. They are mostly smaller and leaner than Clan cats, and smear their fur with mud to camouflage with the rocks. It also helps them to keep warm at higher altitudes. Their camp is located at the end of a rocky path that leads behind the waterfall, screening them from the outside. The cave, which burrows under the mountain, is as wide as the waterfall, and has narrow passages that lead off on either side. One passage goes to the Cave of the Pointed Stones, and the other goes to the nursery. On either side of the cave floor, there are indents, padded with eagle or heron feathers, that the Tribe cats sleep in. Instead of having a leader and a medicine cat, the Tribe's substitution is a Tribe healer, who serves as both a leader and a medicine cat, and who is the only one who can actually communicate with the Tribe of Endless Hunting. The Tribe's society is structured in a society in which prey-hunters catch prey, and cave-guards defend the cave in which the Tribe resides. Jobs are assigned from birth. Tribe cats also have their own special way of hunting. They find some prey (i.e. a mouse), sit in a hiding place, and wait until they see an eagle (or other bird of prey) attack the prey. They then jump onto and kill the eagle, getting to keep both pieces of prey. The six questing Clan cats learned this technique to some extent, most notably Stormfur. They have no scent markers bordering their territory, because no other cat would want their harsh hunting grounds, but this was changed in Outcast, when intruders start hunting on their territory. During the Great Journey, the Clans sheltered under a tree that hung over a rock like a claw, which the tribe cats know of as "Treerock". In The New Prophecy Series ''Moonrise The Tribe has their own prophecy that a silver cat will save their Tribe from Sharptooth, a mountain lion. The chosen cats from the Clans stop at the Tribe's mountain on the journey. At first Stoneteller, the Healer, thought Stormfur was the silver cat, but when Sharptooth attacked the Tribe, Feathertail, Stormfur's sister, fell from a stalactite that also fell and killed Sharptooth. In the Power of Three Series Outcast The Tribe is having trouble with rogue cats and cats from ThunderClan, ShadowClan and WindClan have to go to the mountains to help them, but Hollypaw, Jaypaw, and Lionpaw need to go for different reasons. The rogues made a camp in a gully, and the Clan and Tribe cats need to battle them. The Tribe cats were taught fighting moves of the Clans. Stoneteller was not so sure about that and asked the cats to vote on if they would fight or leave. There were more cats voting for "fight" and so the decision was made. Some Clan apprentices and Tribe to-bes suprises the rogues. Once they came rushing out, the other cats who were waiting outside attacked. The Clans and Tribe win and the rogues surrender, saying they will not mess with the Tribe cats again. Eclipse The Clans leave the mountains, leaving Stormfur and Brook behind. Long Shadows Jaypaw travels back in time to when the Ancient cats lived by the lake, in the body of Jay's Wing, and tells the leader, Furled Bracken, that he had a dream about the mountains (which he didn't, but had visited the mountain in his real life.) He influences them to move into the mountains, knowing they are destined to become the Tribe of Rushing Water. Sunrise The patrol sent to fetch Sol see the mountains while leaving the Twolegplace. Hollyleaf imagined jumping and landing right on the waterfall where the Tribe of Rushing Water live. Tribe Structure The Tribe is quite different from the Clans, in more than just territory and look. Tribe Members Cats of the Tribe are divided into several categories. Healer In the Tribe, the leader is called a healer. Not only does the healer lead the Tribe, he or she also uses healing herbs to cure wounds and sickness. They also interpret the signs of rock, leaf, and water to read messages from the Tribe of Endless Hunting. The herbs used are similar to the ones in the Clans, but in the mountains there are different plants. When a cat becomes a healer, he or she is known as the Teller of the Pointed Stones or Stoneteller. The Teller of the Pointed Stones does not participate in fights to avoid getting killed. Cave-Guards Cave-guards are thickset, strong, and big. They are the main fighting force of the Tribe and have the responsibility of defending the cave from predators. They also accompany the prey-hunters on hunting missions to watch out for large birds. These cats are chosen from birth for their physical build. They often coat themselves with mud to hide their scent and blend in with the rocky scenery. Prey-Hunters Prey-hunters are light, slim, and fast. They are the hunters of the Tribe, using stealth and surprise along with camouflage to catch their food. A special technique of theirs is to spy on a small prey, like a mouse, until an eagle comes down to get it. They can then leap on the eagle and kill it, thus delivering two pieces of prey for the Tribe. Prey-hunters often coat themselves with mud; this disguises them, covers their scent, and protects against the wind. Prey-hunters are chosen from birth for their physical build. Kit-Mothers These are the equivalent of queens, and care for their kits until they are old enough to become to-bes. To-Bes To-bes are young cats in training, much like the Clan apprentices. At their birth, it is foretold by the Tribe healer if they will be a prey-hunter, a cave-guard or the next Teller of the Pointed Stones. Kits that seem fast and lithe are prey-hunters; kits that look strong will be cave-guards. The Stoneteller will receive a message from The Tribe of Endless Hunting when it is time to choose his own to-be. Once this happens, they can become something else, but as noted by Brook in ''The Sight to Hollypaw, most do not. Elders Elders are really the oldest cats in the Tribe. Elders are retired from being Prey-Hunters or Cave-Guards. They are often consulted in difficult times. The elders of the Tribe have a very similar role to the elders of the Clans. See Also :A List of All Tribe Cats :General Tribe Information, the customs and ways of life of all Tribe cats. :Sharptooth, the mountain cat that terrorized the Tribe cats until Feathertail killed it, sacrificing herself in the process.